17th ANNUAL EARLY HEARING DETECTION & INTERVENTION MEETING
March 18-20, 2018 • Denver, CO
EHDI FAMILY LEADERSHIP AWARD
Nominations are invited for the Antonia Brancia Maxon Award for EHDI Excellence to be presented at the 2018 National EHDI Meeting in Denver, Colorado. This award honors the life and work of Dr. Antonia Brancia Maxon to promote effective Early Hearing Detection and Intervention (EHDI) programs for all newborns, infants, and young children. Dr. Maxon was a pioneer in EHDI programs, beginning with her leadership in the Rhode Island Hearing Assessment Project in the late 1980's. She was one of the first to recognize the feasibility and value of universal newborn hearing screening and was a tireless advocate for connecting screening programs with timely and appropriate diagnosis and early intervention.
Her extensive contributions to creating excellent EHDI programs were abruptly ended by a tragic automobile accident in May of 2007. In memory of her contributions, an Award for EHDI Excellence is presented each year at the National EHDI Meeting to honor an individual who has made outstanding contributions to achieving excellence in EHDI programs nationally or in a particular state or region.
Presentation of the 2018 Antonia Brancia Maxon Award for EHDI Excellence will be made on Monday March 19, 2018 at the National EHDI Meeting in Denver, Colorado. More about the National EHDI Meeting, including past nominees and recipients can be found below.
Christine Griffin
The Washington State Early Hearing Detection, Diagnosis, and Intervention (EHDDI) Advisory Group would like to nominate Christine Griffin for the EHDI Family Leadership Award.
Christine and her husband are parents of two incredible children. Their son, Sawyer, was identified with bilateral mild to moderate sensorineural hearing loss at the age of five. Their daughter, Tess, was two years old when she was found to have bilateral moderate to severe sensorineural hearing loss. Christine and her family live in Bellingham, Washington, which is located in the northwest corner of our state.
Christine's passion for her children, education, and helping others led her into the role of a family advocate. She loves to listen to other parents and share in their journey. She first began volunteering with Parent to Parent (P2P) and then became the P2P Coordinator of Whatcom County where she supported parents and caregivers of children with developmental delays and disabilities. She also became involved with an interagency coordinating council and the local EHDDI committee.
When the Washington State Hands & Voices Chapter started, Christine quickly got involved and attended the Hands & Voices Leadership Conference. This is where she started hearing about Guide By Your Side™ (GBYS). She immediately understood the value that this program would have for families of children who are deaf or hard of hearing and dedicated herself to establishing a GBYS program in Washington. Thanks to her determination, a GBYS program was created in 2009 funded with support from the Washington State EHDDI program.
As the GBYS Coordinator, Christine has helped parents and caregivers become better advocates for themselves and other families. Christine facilitated partnerships between our state's March of Dimes and parents of children who are deaf or hard of hearing to successfully lobby key legislators when the EHDDI program's funds were threatened to be eliminated.
In addition to her work as GBYS coordinator, Christine has directed many other projects to improve the broader state EHDDI system. In 2017 she led a statewide gap analysis to identify areas of need around support, leadership, and advocacy for families of infants who are deaf or hard of hearing. Christine also hosted and facilitated advocacy trainings and networking events for families that were very well attended and appreciated. Through the years she has been an active voice in many committees, visited legislators, and shared her experiences to help other families.
Washington is lucky to have such a tireless advocate and leader in our state. It is with great pleasure that we nominate Christine for this prestigious award.